I have had the opportunity recently to get my hands on the EZVIZ C8PF smart home camera. EZVIZ has a series of many different cameras for different purposes such as outdoor, inside, and pet specific. Today we will be focusing on this specific outdoor camera.
This camera is great for keeping tabs on what is happening outside of your home whether that be your front porch or driveway. I can comfortably say that this camera does just about everything you will need it to do with almost no trouble.
Design
The EZVIZ C8PF outdoor camera has a very solid feel to it and seems to get the job done just right. A downside of course is the fact that it is a wired connection. Batteries will never be a problem but managing your cords could potentially prove to be a problem as it can easily be disconnected if the wires are exposed. The camera is bulky compared to other competitors but with it being outdoors it shouldn’t be a problem.
The EZVIZ C8PF provides a nice 1080p resolution which is perfect for being able to see what you need no matter the time of day. Even at night, it has an IR(98ft.) that helps it see everything you need to.
This camera has an AI powered person detector that tries to efficiently rule out any objects or animals that may not be what you are looking for. With the app that accompanies the camera, you can easily receive alerts with person detection and help give you peace of mind when dealing with certain situations.
It comes with dual lenses so you can have a picture in picture display in the app when monitoring your home. This camera comes with 340-degree swivel and 80-degree vertical rotation with an 8x zoom. Seeing exactly what you need will never be a problem.
The camera provides two way talk if you ever need to exchange communication with a mailman, for example, and is also weatherproof since it will be outside for all the assortment of weather it will have to endure. Storage is also never a problem as it comes with 512 GB of SD storage AND comes with a one week free trial of the EZVIZ cloud storage so you can get a feel for what their award winning cloud storage is like (Personal Data Privacy Protection Management System Certification).
Installation
If you have a small window of time with a drill and an idea of where you want to put your camera and cords, then you have enough time to set this up. It isn’t a difficult process once you know where you want to put it. Then you get the app up and running and scan the QR code on the camera and you are ready to go.
Once inside, you’ll see full control on how your notifications are set up, when you want it to record, when you can have it sleep if you are home, and so on.
Apps and Notifications
In terms of the app that is paired with the camera, it has just about everything you would expect it to have. It has a hub with all of your connected cameras and you can easily click on the one you desire and access a whole list of tabs that can be used with the EZVIZ C8PF. That can range from activating sleep mode, recording, two way talk, or you can simply just watch the camera live and see what’s going on at home.
You can also customize when you receive notifications in the app. Usually people set it to send a notification when motion is detected which I personally think is the best way to go. I never had any problems with the notifications and felt it was a top-notch notification system. With all the competitors in the area, this camera definitely delivered.
Conclusion
I enjoyed using this camera and could definitely see myself using it as my own camera system. With its price tag sitting around $170, it feels right in line with other cameras in this price point. Depending on what kind of security you are looking for, EZVIZ is sure to have it and give you what you need.
Everybody is looking for love. And many are looking for it online these days. But there’s a big risk with finding romance online: you could become the victim of catfish, also known as a romance scam.
Do you ever wonder if the partner you’re chatting with online and seem to fall for is legit? Most online daters do.
Online dating is pretty popular today. Even before the pandemic, a lot of people used various dating apps to meet their soulmates or just a date for a fun party. But, the activity on dating apps has surged during the pandemic as people were locked in their homes and with everything being closed, including event venues, online was the only environment where they could meet people.
Take Tinder, for example. The popular dating app reported recording its highest number of swipes in march 2020: 3 billion. OkCupid, another popular dating app, said that from March to May 2020, it had seen a 700% in dates. Bumble also reported experiencing a 70% increase in video calls. All these stats make it clear that not even a pandemic can stop us from looking for love.
Keep reading below to learn more about catfishing and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of it!
First things first, let’s make sure we’re on the same page with what catfishing is so that you can better know what to protect yourself from.
Catfishing is the use of a fake online profile or persona to lune someone else into a false relationship, usually for financial purposes. Simply put, catfishing is when someone creates a fake online profile to trick people who are looking for romance or dates, usually to get money out of them. But, note that catfishing isn’t always a matter of romantic partners. Sometimes it can come in the form of family, friends, or even business relationships.
Now, with online being pretty much everywhere in the world, catfishing is a very widespread issue. In fact, there’s an interesting analysis of where the catfish hotspots are if you want to find where the biggest fraudsters live.
5 tips for outsmarting a catfish
You know what catfishes are and why they are doing it. But you’re likely wondering how to protect yourself from them. Here are five tips for outsmarting a catfish:
Research them
Everybody who has been in the world of dating, be it online or offline, has, at least once, met someone who we thought was too good to be true. Truth be told, oftentimes, that’s exactly what we end up discovering: the person is not at all that perfect.
In the online world, wearing the mask of perfection is even easier than it is in the offline dating environment. The virtual nature of the interactions allows people to shape their identity, personality and even look precisely how they want, and it is challenging for the other person to know the truth, especially at the beginning.
So, if you meet someone who simply seems perfect (good-looking, with financial success, a pet lover, empathic, etc.), don’t immediately fall for that because the chances are that person is actually not that good. There can be a scam behind that “perfection.”
What can you do to find out whether they are as good as they seem or not? Research them! And, we’re not talking about researching them in a creepy way of scrolling on their social media to their first post ever. However, do make sure that the person really exists. Here are some strategies:
Search their name on social media to see if they have actual profiles that tell everything they are telling you in your conversations;
Search their name on google and see if there’s an article mentioning a scam that includes the same fake name;
See if other real profiles have liked or commented on their posts.
Ask them to meet face-to-face
Another thing that can really be a warning sign regarding the identity of a person you meet online is their refusal to meet in person.
A catfish will do anything possible to prevent face-to-face meetings as that would expose their fake identity. So, they might tell you that they live in a very far country, that they can’t travel for some reason, or even if they agree to meet, they might find a last-minute excuse to avoid that.
Ask the person you’re dating online to meet you in person and see how they respond to that. A direct refusal or attempt to avoid that is a red sign that you should consider.
Don’t fall for very early romance signs
Let’s be honest, even in the offline world, love at first sight is a very rare phenomenon. While not impossible, it is pretty difficult for two people to fall for each other irremediably and decide they love or want to spend their future together in a matter of days or even weeks. When this happens, the chances for it to be real love are pretty small, so naturally, there seems to be something fishy there.
The story is the same in the online dating world. Sharing a few messages with someone, even if you do discuss some intense topics, doesn’t mean that you’re now in a relationship. But a catfish would definitely want you to believe that.
So, if the relationship is moving too quickly and you get huge promises like “I love you” or “I can’t live without you” within a few days, that’s a significant sign that you may be a victim of a catfish. Make sure that you don’t fall for this, no matter how eager you are to find your soulmate. Try to remain anchored in reality and determine objectively if the person really means what they are saying or not.
Don’t offer the person money
We simply can’t stress this one enough: do not send money to people you meet online.
No matter how legit the person seems, you shouldn’t send them money. Think about it: a person that is in the online world for finding their soulmate, just as you are, would never ask for money. However, a scammer would definitely do so.
No matter the reason they are giving you, or how small the amount is, do not let yourself be fooled by the romantic scammer trying to get money from you.
Don’t share your personal data
Last but not least, know that ill-intentioned Internet users often use catfishing to obtain something other than money. More precisely, they are aiming to get their victim’s personal data which they can later use for illegal activities.
If you have doubts related to the legitimacy of the person you’re chatting with online, avoid providing them with any of your personal data, like email, phone number, financial details, address, passwords, and others. In fact, it would be best if you wouldn’t share such data with anyone, no matter how close your relationship seems to be.
Writing about headphones, earbuds, and earphones can be pretty boring at times. While it might sound exciting to get to try to so many options out, it can become mundane and tedious.
Mentally, I start out my reviews for earbuds by putting them into a price basket. Are these budget-minded and low-end options that hit the $50 and under mark? Do they swing a little harder, coming in around $100-$150? Or, might they be a pair of “premium” earbuds that command a price tag of $250 or more?
From there I start to look at what the specs are and whether they seem to fall in line with others. Indeed, I’ve already started to subconsciously grade them before even listening to a single note of music.
In doing this I’ve found that some models surprise me, and stick out from the bunch. Every so often I find a pair that are comfortable, long-lasting, and feature-rich, and at a price that seems almost too good to be true. That’s what I’ve found in the Nothing Ear 1’s.
As the first accessory from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, I didn’t quite know what to expect. Were these going to be a decent effort with plenty of promise for the brand? Or, might they have fallen into the territory of forgettable and uninspiring? As it turns out, the Ear 1 have become my preferred option for listening around the house.
The Nothing Ear 1, in my opinion, sit at the intersection of fashionable and practical, with an eye on the horizon that is wide adoption. Priced just $99, I was surprised by the set of features and capabilities. And best of all, they sound pretty damn nice, too.
Key Features
34 hours playback including case
11.6mm driver
Available in black and white color options
Active Noise Cancellation
Case charges wirelessly
IPX4 rating
Design
The Ear 1 employ the stem design with a semi-transparent plastic which more or less lets you see into the inner workings. The “black” pair I’ve received are more along the lines of a smoky grey but you can see through them.
The square carrying case has its share of curves and soft edges but it’s largely a square that opens up like a makeup compact. Between the color choice, the use of metal, and a seemingly random circle indentation, it’s interesting to look at and different. And it’s very pocketable.
Included in the box are three silicone ear tips; the medium are in place upon arrival. All in all, they look similar to others yet somehow manage to look unlike anything else in the space.
The Ear 1 offer wireless charging and the carrying case has a couple of visible metal pieces on the bottom. The whole affair is fun and interesting to look at and the semi-transparent case seems to do a fair job in handling. Thus far I’ve yet to scuff the case and I’m not always the most precious about my tech. I suspect that scratches and wear might only add to the aesthetic if and when they arrive.
Performance
Cool headphones are nice and all, but I don’t care much for how they look — my focus is on performance. Do they sound good? Does the battery last? Are there any nifty or practical features?
The Nothing Ear 1 are a well-balanced pair of earbuds, with solid sound and long-lasting battery. You may find yourself toggling the various in-app EQ settings based on what you’re listening to, or on a general preference, but I’ve settled in and left things alone.
The soundscape is a bright and tight one, especially on the default settings. Once I toggled on the extra bass EQ setting I noticed quite a difference as it brought the lower end more into play. Initially I would go back to the more flat option for podcasts and books but have since stuck with the extra bass.
Don’t read this as to say these have a thump or heavy feel to music; they do not. I just find them to have a bit more overall presence.
There are two modes for activenoise cancellation (ANC), one being stronger than the other. Additionally, there’s a transparency mode that lets you hear ambient or environmental sounds through music. I tend to favor either strong noise cancellation or transparency as the lighter cancellation sits closer to transparent.
One thing that tends to happen with less expensive models is that transparent listening leads to an “airy” or hissing sensation. That’s not the case here as it just feels more like Nothing has simply turned down the music.
Battery life is rated at around four hours with ANC enabled and upward of six hours with it turned off. As far as the carrying case goes, it looks to provide 24-34 hours total, based on how you listen to your music.
I found this to be accurate in my few weeks with the Ear 1 earbuds; I appreciate that my phone occasionally displays the percentage of each earbud and the case. Most weeks I only find myself charging the case one time, usually overnight or while showering. I never really have to think about battery.
I dig that the Nothing Ear 1 case charges up via USB C and wireless charging. The latter is one of those features where I was not quite sure if I’d get that in a $99 pair of earbuds. Plugging the case in for only 10 minutes is good enough to provide a few hours of music playback. Similarly, ten minutes of putting the earbuds in the case can get upwards of an hour of ANC listening.
Another feature I really liked is the IPX4 splashproof rating. Not that I get too sweaty or dance in the rain all that often, I do recognize that I’ll be outside and more active in the coming months. With that said, it’s nice to not have to worry about getting the Ear 1 earbuds wet.
I also really enjoyed the customization and freedom that comes with the app and playback. It’s easy to setup or change how you want the tap gestures to operate; you can listen with one earbud in and it doesn’t matter which one. Shortly after receiving my review unit I saw an update that brought about access to Google Assistant, something that I could enable in the app.
Parting Thoughts
Often I will qualify a review with how the product sits in its price point, comparing it to others, and in the process suggest that maybe shaving $20 or $50 off might be the “sweet spot”. For the Nothing Ear 1 earbuds I am on the other side of that concept. Were they to charge $130 for these I wouldn’t bat an eye.
The Ear 1 punch above their weight, delivering on a whole bunch of fronts. They’re comfortable and light, last as long as I need them to, and charge quickly. Toss in a fully customizable app experience and water resistance and you’ve got a solid product. And that’s to say nothing of how interesting they are to look at, too.
I’m truly excited by the Nothing brand and look forward to anything and everything it has on the horizon.
Learn more about the Ear 1, or purchase a pair in either black or white, at Nothing’s website where they’re currently available for just $99.
As March gets underway we’re in that time of year that I always find to be quite interesting. That is to say it’s more or less “new phone season” as many handset makers trot out flagships and high-end devices for the coming months.
Things have been slowly changing over the years and US consumers are more educated than ever. Further, they understand that they have more choice then they thought. Buying an unlocked phone is no longer as taboo or confusing as it was in the early days of Android.
With that said, the phone space is a becoming a more crowded one than ever before. Looking at 2022 I’ve noticed I’ve noticed that we’ve received more “new” names here at the office. Companies like Xiaomi, realme, and POCO have sent us phones for review whereas previously they didn’t seem to be making the play for a global audience. If anything, they didn’t seem to care all that much for the US market.
Miami-based BLU is back with a new phone of its own, the G91 Max. Priced just $250, it builds on a series that started a few years back.
Naturally, one looks at that price and assumes that this model is anything but a flagship. Surely it’s just another entry-level experience that offers up little more than the essentials, right? As it turns out, there’s quite a bit of hardware under the hood and the overall package might surprise a few readers.
BLU G91 Max Specifications
6.8-inch Full HD+ Infinity Dot Display
MediaTek Helio G95 octa-core processor
8GB RAM
128GB Storage
Quad AI 108-megapixel rear camera setup
16-megapixel front-facing camera
5,000mAh battery with 10W wireless charging and power sharing
Fingerprint reader and Face ID unlocking
Android 11
Taking a Closer Look
Take a look at that list of hardware and you’ll see there’s quite the value proposition at just $250. And if you were lucky enough to pick one of these up for $150 upon launch, you damn near stole it.
For a large segment of the population, cutting edge features matter little. For every high-end mobile gamer you find, I wager there’s 10 people who just want to stay connected and take a random picture for social media here and there.
If you’re a heavier user, or dig deeper into the details, you’ll surely find a few threads to tug on here. For instance, while the BLU G91 Max has an impressive 8GB RAM, a typical 2022 flagship might have not only more memory, but a faster type of memory. And it’s distinctions like this where I envision a flow-chart of sorts.
Don’t know what I am talking about when I mention LPDDR5? You’ll be fine to keep considering the BLU phone. Those who do understand the difference tend to know whether it matters to their daily usage and can decide whether the juice is worth the squeeze.
Similarly, the 5,000mAh battery is a massive one to be sure, but its wireless charging speeds are limited to 10W and its overall charging is capped at 18W when plugged into a wall. By comparisons, pricier phones have faster speeds, sometimes in excess of 60W. But, if you’re the type of person who barely has to charge their phone, or only plugs it in at night, you won’t care that much.
Lastly, before moving on, we might talk about the Full HD+ display, which is measured at 2460 x 1080 pixel resolution with 396 pixels per inch. Do you know what the resolution is in, say, a Samsung Galaxy S20? It’s 3200 x 1440 pixels at 563 pixels per inch. Moreover, can you recognize the difference when browsing Instagram and sharing memes? I suspect many readers do not.
Phones were already powerful and fast, outpacing the needs of the masses. Over the last few generations of devices we’ve seen implementation of cool stuff like higher refresh rates and touch sampling rates. If you’ve ever had the chance to use a phone with 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rate, you surely notice how buttery smooth it is in places.
The BLU G91 Max is the sort of phone that ticks most of the boxes that matter to average consumers. That is to say it has a large screen, long-lasting battery, better than average camera, and semi-recent software. It stops just short, though, of adding the “frills” and extra details that come with pricier phones.
What is it Like to Use the BLU G91 Max?
The short answer to this question is that it’s enjoyable and familiar. As someone who likes the “stock Android” experience, I appreciate when phone makers get out of the way and leave things alone. BLU does that here, leaving things fairly lean and clean.
One thing worth noting here is that the phone runs Android 11 with the most recent software update being from December, 2021. With chatter already starting for Android 13 it’s easy to pick at this seam and view this handset as “outdated”.
Would it be nice to have Android 12 here? Sure. Does its target user base know what’s missing out on, though? Probably not. It would be nice if BLU were to make an announcement or pledge at least one update just for the peace of mind in not feeling like you’re buying yesterday’s phone.
There are a handful of apps and games pre-installed on the phone, some of which are fairly popular and likely to be downloaded by the user in the long run. Among those are TikTok, Pandora, Solitaire, Wish, and SHEIN. There’s also a “Games” client which recommends a number of other games for installation.
Along the same line, the facial recognition and unlocking is incredibly simple to setup. And as for getting into your device, it’s lightning quick.
As far as personalization goes, there’s not as much here visually so much as gestures and interfacing. I suspect that part of that comes with not having the Material You extras that come with Android 12. Nevertheless, if you spend a few minutes on the first day of owning this one, you’ll have it feeling very much like “you” in how it operates.
What about the G91 Max Design?
Physically, the BLU G91 Max feels great in the hand, if not a little soft or slippery to the touch. Taller than the Google Pixel 6, it’s also a smidge thinner. As someone with a tad smaller hand I appreciate the 20:9 aspect ratio quite a bit.
Similarly, I kind of dig it when phone makers put the power button and fingerprint reader in the same spot. Setting up the fingerprint takes but a few moments and it makes it easy to hop right into action.
Whereas most phones have the power and volume buttons on the same side of the device the G91 Max splits them up. It might take a little getting used to if you’re coming from another phone.
As a whole, the G91 Max doesn’t stray from any standard phone designs. It’s gently curved in the normal spots and sits nicely in the hand and has a flat display with minimal bezels. The SIM card slot is located above the volume buttons with the bottom edge housing the charging port, speaker, and 3.5mm headphone jack.
The screen is generously sized and has a rather respectable image with high contrast and sharp colors. It’s also fairly easy to see when outside; that’s not always the case when dealing with phones in this price point.
Sound could be louder when watching videos or on speakerphone calls and the single speaker on the bottom edge can be easily muffled or covered. With that said, I don’t always find myself playing music loudly or viewing long-form videos.
Bonus points are awarded for the inclusion of the headphone jack. Sure, plenty of people have already decided that they don’t need this port, or have moved on to wireless options, but not me. I still appreciate that it is part of the experience.
The review unit we received was the Spectrum Grey; however, there’s a Sky Blue option available, too. If I were to describe the color it’s like a dark grey at the bottom, transitioning into a silver up near the top third. It’s subtle, but it’s better than a standard flat color.
In the box is a rugged-like protective case that hides all those little curves and design choices. If you wanna show off the color and aesthetics, you’ll have to look for a third party case. That said, BLU was one of the first phone makers to even bother to include a case so it’s nice to see them continue that tradition forward. Oh, and they also throw in a pair of earbuds, too.
How about the camera?
Typically, the Pixel line is my personal benchmark for the camera experience. If I am testing a handset, I’ll usually carry my Google phone with me, too, just in the event I want to capture something specific. That’s largely because I have come to trust that my Pixel is going to get the best result and I have not come to trust the other device.
Things changed a bit for me with the Pixel 6 as it doesn’t deliver that all-around perfect shot using dead simple software. I feel like I took a step backwards with results. I’ve become a little more forgiving in my shots as other phones in the $500+ space seem to deliver something on par.
The G91 Max surprised me with its camera, offering up better than average results. What’s more, the app was easy to use and there’s a whole array of features to play with.
I like the idea of just opening up a camera and snapping more than toggling settings and fooling with filters. This phone does make it easy to open, point, and shoot, but it has a fairly robust suite of extras, too. If you like to punch up pictures with different filters or color palettes, you’ll enjoy what’s on offer.
Additionally, there are modes for time lapse, panorama, slow motion, macro, night, and creating gifs. The 128MP one, for its part, does capture a decent shot but its file sizes are often in excess of 25MBs and the pictures take 2-3 seconds to save. It’s certainly not an “everyday” mode, but it’s here. The same goes for 4K video capture or Pro mode. I don’t use them all that often but it’s nice to know that they exist for those who do.
As a whole, I feel like the G91 Max captures an accurate image. It didn’t take me too long to trust the phone and understand its capabilities. Given that most of my photos are viewed on a phone now, they look about as good as I would hope and I’ve not had to do much retouching or discarding of poor results.
What About Overall Performance?
Thanks to the MediaTek Helio G95 processor and 8GB RAM there’s more than enough power to satisfy my needs. I’m a gamer from time to time, a social media stalker, task manager, and message sender.
I often find that I have to “test” a device with more rigorous activities to see when they stutter or slip up. That’s because I’m not an overly demanding user. The stuff that I do on a day-to-day basis is no challenge for this phone and I don’t see that really changing a year or more down the road.
I imagine that the people who spend $400 or less on a phone are much like me. To that end, the G91 Max should not only deliver on their expectations, but it will leave some money in the bank, too.
The 5,000mAh battery is a generous one that doesn’t dwindle quickly. Thanks to the mid-range processor and “lower-resolution” screen I find that I can go around two days before I start getting anxious about battery life.
When it comes time to charge, the 18W quick charging keeps me from being plugged in very long. I might have spoiled myself with other, pricier phones and their charging speed but this still beats what we had just a few years back.
Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging are two features we don’t often see in lower-priced devices but we get both of them here. How can you be mad at that?
Do I miss the 5G connectivity? No, not really. The 4G LTE speeds are just as good for me in 2022 as they were in 2020, if not better. Having the next-gen network support would be nice, but it’s still not necessary.
Parting Thoughts
If you’re fortunate enough to have gotten off the treadmill of device payments or long-term commitments, you know how nice it is to buy a phone outright. Buying unlocked is the way to go for most people, but many of them just don’t know it yet.
Once you get into buying an unlocked phone, you realize there’s an awful lot out there, and for less money than you’d think. BLU has been dining out on that concept for a long time now, and seems to do a great job of finding the “sweet spot” for entry-level and mid-level consumer needs.
I really like the BLU G91 Max, especially for its price. Currently one can find it at Amazon for as low as $229. With benchmarks that rival the Samsung Galaxy A52 and Xiaomi Note 10S, it’s a great value proposition.
The unlocked phone space has become increasingly more crowded and 2022 looks to be no different with realme, POCO, Xiaomi, and other players making a bigger play for the US market. How will the BLU brand do?
I suspect that as more consumers come to trust these less-familiar companies, BLU can do well for itself. It’s a brand that’s been around long enough and has been seen in places like Amazon and Best Buy consistently enough to make people feel at ease.
If you are currently subscribed to AT&T, T-Mobile, or one of their respective prepaid and MVNO labels, the G91 Max will work just fine for you. And if you’re looking for a great all-around, no-frills experience that doesn’t cost very much, it’s one worth considering.
Learn more about the G91 Max and other models at the BLU website or head to Amazon to purchase one today.
When it comes to picking out a pair of headphones, many people start with a specific budget in mind and shop from brands they know. It’s not often that consumers like to take a risk on a new brand, even if it is priced lower than the competition.
Here at AndroidGuys we recently familiarized ourselves with a brand that we’d not had any experience with, SuperEQ. After checking out a handful of different models we’ve come to appreciate what it does and how it positions itself in the space.
SuperEQ S2 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
Bluetooth 5.0
18 hours playtime with ANC, 25 hours without
20-25db reduction Active Noise Cancelling
Multi-function button for voice assistant
Dual 40mm drivers for powerful deep bass
As an offshoot or sub-brand of OneOdio, we like where SuperEQ’s head is at with its product line. The models we received were a little bit of fashion sense mixed with a bit of general functionality. Best of all, they were affordable and leave a little bit of money in the wallet.
Comfortable to wear, even for a few hours at a time, the S2 fit on the ear and provide a fairly respectable amount of volume. Toggling Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) on and off is pretty noticeable and we appreciate being able to settling into our music and playlists.
When it comes to battery life, you’ll get a decent amount of the SuperEQ headphones. We had no issues in getting day’s worth of listening out of the S2, with and without ANC. According to the device maker you can expect upwards of 18 hours of life per charge when using ANC and 25 without. Charging is done is as little as two hours.
Learn more about the SuperEQ S2, or order a pair for yourself, at the SuperEQ website. The pair we received were “Green” but we found them to be more mint and orange in a sort of classic car combination. Other options include all black and a teal blue/black combo.
Pricing shakes out to around $60 per pair but there are often deals and discounts, including a Buy One, Get One offer from time to time.
Eero is widely considered as one of, if not the first, to bring mesh WiFi systems to the general consumer. It sparked a range of competitors from Google to Linksys, TP-Link, and pretty much any other router manufacturer. Now, mesh router networks are considered the modern standard for home internet.
Eero’s new parent company Amazon was kind enough to allow us over a month to test the latest eero Pro 6 setup and I’ve come away more than impressed.
Design
The eero is basically a plastic and metal puck with internal WiFi antennas. The Pro 6 system includes a tri-band setup capable of WiFi 6 at both 2.4 and 5GHz. This allows for your network to have up to a full Gigabit of speed potential.
The eero Pro 6 is also smart home ready with a built-in Zigbee smart home hub radio and Amazon’s Frustration-Free setup. This makes the eero systems more compatible in fewer steps for any smart home devices that are approved for Amazon’s Certified for Humans program.
Amazon Frustration-Free makes other Amazon devices and other certified smart home units easier to set up and ofter only involves one step with eero. Echos, Echo Dots, and many Fire TV devices will be able to communicate directly with your new eero Pro 6 and link up with little fuss using the stored router credentials.
Wrapping up the hardware are the ports. One of the key features of the Pro 6 versus the standard eero 6 models is that every unit of the Pro series comes with two ethernet jacks. The only other port is the USB-C power input.
Setup and app
Eero’s most prized feature might just be how easy the setup and app are to use. Once you download the app from the Google Play store, you simply plug in the first Pro 6 puck into your internet modem and a wall outlet for power. The app will take a few moments to locate the device and then prompt you through the setup of this Gateway unit.
From here, you take a few steps to get your home network up and running. You will set things like the WiFi SSID name and then your password to keep everything secure. Next, build out the network name and credentials and complete the most important step.
Afterward, the app will then ask if you have more satellite eero Pro 6 units to add to the new network. You can purchase the eero Pro 6 in a single, two, or three-pack so your experience may vary. However, adding additional devices is the same. Just like you plugged in the first puck at the modem, you simply add power to the surrounding units and the app will automatically find them and duplicate your settings on the new eero Pro 6.
That’s it on the setup. From here, you can play with the features of the eero app. You can choose to enroll in things like 1Password login manager, complete network ad-block, and content filtering via the eero Secure and Secure+ subscription. Depending on the additional options you’d like to turn on, you can do $2.99 or $9.99 monthly. You can discount with yearly rates of $29.99 or $99 annually.
Rounding out some of the eero Pro 6 app features are free inclusion of speed and network tests. This will troubleshoot your mesh system to make sure all the eero devices are communicating properly. The speed test allows you to get visual confirmation of your actual internet speed on each hub.
Speed and performance
Speaking of speeds. The eero Pro 6 outperforms the last two mesh systems I’ve had in my home. I have Comcast at the 300mbps package and I am seeing this true maximum speed when plugged in with ethernet on all my eero Pro 6 units.
Similarly, I see well over 200mbps on my closet eero Pro 6 satellite away from my modem in my bedroom. This is almost 100mbps better on average than the previous competitors from Google and TP-Link I’ve used.
The only eero Pro 6 unit that falls below this is the furthest auxiliary unit I have in my bonus room. This is by far the furthest from my internet source and is also upstairs and above my garage on the exterior side of the home. Even here, I still see around 80-100mbps consistently.
Latency also seems to be stellar. I rarely see a ping in testing come back over 50ms. Overall, I have no complaints about the performance of the eero Pro 6 system. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to see much difference in my usage over the previous mesh networks I’ve owned. eero has blown those expectations away by being much more reliable even under heavy loads of video streaming or gaming via Google Stadia.
I also saw a performance bump in the few WiFi 6 devices I currently have laying around. This is a huge future-proof reason to upgrade to the eero Pro 6 system. WiFi 6 offers faster speeds and better latency in new smart devices that have the hardware to take advantage of the new protocol.
Conclusion
Eero is the main pioneer of the mesh WiFi network craze and I now see why. The now Amazon-owned company has truly found the easy button for home internet with the eero Pro 6 routers. The setup, app, and performance are a “set it and forget it” system many of us have dreamed of owning.
The only real knock I can give the eero Pro 6 is price. This latest generation is expensive at $229 for a single router, $399 for the dual units, and $599 for a three-pack. However, this does offer potential buyers flexibility for their homes. A single eero Pro 6 can cover 2,000 square feet while the test three-pack has 6,000 square feet of range.
Obviously, you can purchase the eero Pro 6 directly from the eero website or from Amazon. Amazon will often run bundling deals with Echo devices so if never hurts to shop around. Personally, I can’t see anyone being disappointed adding the eero Pro 6 to the home office.
I had the chance to check out the EZVIZ C6 smart home camera. While EZVIZ has a full family of cameras for different needs, today we’ll look at the indoor camera designed for keeping tabs on pets and kids around the house.
After a few weeks with the camera I can confidently say that it does just about everything I expected it to and with very little trouble.
Design
EZVIZ has created a beautiful looking indoor camera that can fit right into your home. The only downside being that it is a wired camera and may also require an ethernet (depending on your wireless capabilities) to be able to operate. This can also be seen as an upside seeing that batteries will never be a problem for this camera and there are things that can be done to manage cords.
The C6 itself is a little bulky but not to the point where it is taking up too much room.
The camera has a very impressive video quality (2k resolution) and which lets you capture and see everything, be it daytime, nighttime, a fully lit living room, or stormy weather.
The camera also has an AI powered human and pet detection system. Other features present in the C6 are sleep mode, which shutters away the camera so you can have some alone time, two way talk, so you can talk back and forth with whoever is home with ease, and a MicroSD slot to store up to 256 GB of data.
The camera has an app that acts as a hub for all of the EZVIZ cameras installed in your house. We will touch more on that later but it can be used to access recordings and receive alerts when motion is detected by the built in AI system. Being paired with 360-degree view and 4x zoom, you will never miss out on anything happening without your supervision.
Installation
If you can set aside a couple minutes to plug in at most two cords, download an app, and scan a QR code, then you are fully capable of setting up this camera.
Once you get the app up and running you will have full control over what your camera does and when. There is nothing more to it other than finding a place in your living room to put it.
Depending on where you place it, you might want to elevate it. Included in the box is a mount should you want it to stand a little taller or add more stability to the camera.
Apps and Notifications
In terms of the app that is paired with the camera, it has just about everything you would expect it to have. It has a hub with all of your connected cameras. One can easily click on the one you desire and access a whole list of tabs that can be used with the camera.
Functions can range from activating sleep mode, recording, two way talk, or you can simply just watch the camera live and see what’s going on at home. You can also customize when you receive notifications in the app.
Usually people set it to send a notification when motion is detected which I personally think is the best way to go. I never had any problems with the notifications and felt it was a top-notch notification system.
Conclusion
Given the number of competitors in this field, this camera definitely delivered on my expectations.
I thoroughly enjoyed using the EZVIZ C6 and could definitely see myself using it as my own camera system. With its price tag of around $130 it falls on the less expensive end of security products that deliver quality and peace of mind.
Depending on what kind of security solution you are looking for EZVIZ is sure to have something in that space.
The X2 is a “mobile gaming controller” from GameSir designed to give you an edge as a mobile gamer. If you’ve ever given games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, and Minecraft a chance on your mobile device, you’ll understand the need for a controller like the X2. Long periods of gaming on a touchscreen are rough on your joints and fingertips.
Having a controller like the X2 gives you a more comfortable position for your hands and allows you to game without covering up the screen with your fingers. All you need is your mobile phone (under 173mm long), the X2 controller, and the GameSir app before you can start gaming like the pros.
First Impression
Removing the X2 from the packaging, you will find that the controller comes with a protective case and a box with the setup guide as well as a couple of joystick accessories, which I believe are designed to improve the grip and surface area of the joysticks.
Surprisingly, the case and controller are quite small when completely collapsed, so it won’t be too big of a problem storing the controller in a book bag or purse. The buttons are very easy to press, yet pretty tactile and clicky. The bumper/trigger buttons are also very lightweight and make a satisfying clicking noise when pressed.
If you’re familiar with the button layout of the Nintendo Switch, the GameSir X2 will feel right at home in your hands.
How to Connect your Device
To actually get the phone into the controller, it’s fairly simple. If you choose the wired connection option over the bluetooth, GameSir has a very nice feature that affords the adapter plenty of wiggle room; up to 51 degrees, according to their website. Then you can simply pull the right side away from the left, align the device, and release the spring-compressed controller to form a snug fit.
Once the phone is in the proper position in the controller, it feels very solid and I never once questioned whether the phone would stay put. I even shook the controller around with complete confidence to be sure that it would keep my phone safe while gaming. If you’ve known yourself to get a little heated when playing competitively, fear not for the safety of your iPhone or Android.
The X2 comes in three different input options, USB-C, lightning, and wireless Bluetooth, so no matter the brand there is an X2 for you. Once the connection between devices is successful, a blue indicator light will appear on the right side of the controller. Next, you will have to install the GameSir app.
The GameSir Application and Button Mapping Feature
While I’m not entirely sure that you absolutely need the GameSir app to use the device, I found it very convenient to have it. The app gives you some tips and useful information for programming buttons or picking games to play that the setup guide does not.
I have a couple of issues with the app, though. Once the app is started and running in the background, you cannot easily shut it down. A GameSir notification was constantly showing in my notification bar about some “world remap” feature even after I had fully closed the app and disconnected the controller. My only choice to get rid of GameSir’s overlay was to force stop the application in my device’s settings.
I also wish that GameSir would provide more official technical support and Tutorials for the X2 through their app. For people even less tech savvy than myself, I think a couple of YouTube videos about mapping buttons and actually using them in games would be of great importance.
While there are a couple videos on YouTube already, there isn’t anything that I found to be of much use with troubleshooting, so an official GameSir video series about it might alleviate struggles that owners of the X2 might be having.
The app itself actually does a great job of providing lists of games that are available for native support as well as games that will work with some configuration. And thus, the hardest part of using the X2: the button mapping for non-natively supported games.
If you’ve already got some experience with other mobile gaming controllers, you’ll be much better off than me. For the games like Minecraft and Fortnite that have native support for the X2, it works flawlessly! I could not expect any better functionality from it, and it even allows you to seamlessly switch between controller input and touchscreen input, but if you want to try your hand at configuring the controller to work with games like PUBG and Call of Duty, you’re likely going to have to do a but if fiddling. The functionality is definitely there, but it isn’t easy.
The mobile gaming community has a lot of younger and older individuals who aren’t going to be able to play their favorite games like they should because of the confusing interface.
The app itself is simple and very easy to understand, but GameSir’s overlay interface that they use to control and customize the button mapping technology is just plain difficult. They have two different modes called EggNS and GameSir World that you can switch between by pressing buttons on the controller, but they don’t explain the difference between them in the app or in the setup guide.
I messed around with it for over two hours and just couldn’t figure out how to get the ball rolling. I could see where each button was mapped to, using Egg NS mode, but when I tried to move the button placements around to do something as simple as closing out of an ad, it just didn’t work.
To use the button mapping, you have to add the app of your choice into the game folder within the app, and then open it from there. Once you do so it will bring up the overlay and the game, but it doesn’t allow you to touch the screen if you need to close an ad, or ready up for a match.
Unless I am doing something wrong, it seems the interface functionality is just not all there for games that aren’t natively supported, and GameSir doesn’t provide much troubleshooting in the app or setup guide to help, so if you aren’t technology oriented but want to play games like Call of Duty or PUBG, be prepared for a struggle. Fortunately, GameSir provides a list of all of the apps that support the X2, so you can check there for your favorite games before making the decision to buy.
Build Quality and Extra Features
The build quality of the X2 is pretty great. It has micro switch plastic buttons, triggers, and bumpers that are tactile, satisfying, and easy to press. The silicon joystick covers they provide in the box are grippy and you won’t have to worry about them slipping off while in use.
The overall design of the controller is high quality as well, it just looks good. There are soft, rubber grips on the back of the controller to add more friction and make it more comfortable resting in your hands. They have a couple of extra buttons on the corners of the controller that serve different purposes, including one which can instantly and conveniently take a screenshot at any time.
The spring mechanism that makes the controller collapsible is springy and absolutely locks your phone into place. Once it is in the controller, it is not going anywhere.
On GameSir’s website, they claim that the buttons are good for 3 million clicks, which I think is a fantastic baseline for durability. For reference, this is on par with newer Microsoft Xbox controllers, and equates to roughly 10 years of regular use according to Microsoft.
Summary If you’re a big fan of mobile gaming and willing to take on the challenge of configuring GameSir’s “G-Touch” properly, then the X2 is a respectable option. If you are looking to use it for one specific game, be sure to check GameSir’s list of compatible games (both native and non-native supported) before making the decision to buy.
For roughly $70 USD, the durability and comfort that the controller adds to mobile gaming is worthy of an investment, I just hope to see some improvements to the ease of the user interface that comes with the button mapping. If you want to play the native support games, the controller is fantastic, and the software works exactly as I would hope. It accepts rapid button mashing and the wired connection means there is extremely little input lag.
Unfortunately, personal safety is something we all have to prioritize today, no matter where we are. When you don’t know any self-defense techniques, don’t have a bodyguard and are more vulnerable to danger when out in public, there are a few things you can keep on you for safety purposes. One of them is pepper spray. While pepper spray is an effective tool for personal safety, it doesn’t do much beyond harming someone who threatens you. Plegium has an innovative and effective solution to this.
The Plegium App
With Plegium, you’re able to connect your pepper spray device to your mobile device. We encourage you to check out their Genie pepper sprays. These will automatically send out text messages with your location and call your emergency contacts when you use them The intention behind this is not only to keep you safe but to also ensure you get fast help should you need it.
The Plegium app is entirely free, and they take on all costs for texts and phone calls. You can choose between the Smart or Smart Mini pepper spray devices and pair them to your Android via Bluetooth. You can also link five emergency contacts to your Plegium app, and they will be notified whenever you use your pepper spray. This is a groundbreaking invention that allows technology and safety to intersect.
Smart Pepper Spray
Both the Smart and the Smart Mini pepper spray have:
Maximum strength
Location text messages
Phone calls
Battery life up to 4 years
Magnetic quick-release chain
The Smart pepper spray also includes a siren to attract attention and LED lighting to help you see in the dark. When it comes to pepper sprays, we should all be investing in the Smart type.
Choose Safety Today
If you have an Android device or know someone with one who is vulnerable to danger in public spaces, we highly recommend you consider getting a Plegium Smart Spray and connecting it to your phone through the app. It’s always better to be prepared for anything rather than wait for the day when you need help and don’t have it. Plegium sprays are ideal for self-protection. Plus, they bring in extra attention through the app. In a world where we’re unsafe both on and offline, this innovation is an important step towards a better future.
Let’s be candid with ourselves; with a simple pen and paper, anyone can DIY their site or app wireframe.
With the picture of the site/app functionalities in your head. All that remains is the sketching of the ideas. “This will be the first page, if a user clicks this, they will see this…blah blah blah.”
But let me tell you why you won’t follow that route.
Because you know the output would be full of mistakes. Most likely, your drawings will be off the mark, and you’ll end up confusing the designer.
Not to mention the number of hours you’ll waste trying to get the right sketches.
These, and many other reasons, are why people embrace the idea of using wireframe tools – ready-made tech applications that can sketch awesome wireframes from scratch.
This post wants to review one of such tools. We call it the Zen wireframe tool. Sit tight and relax as we introduce Zen wireframe to you.
What is the Zen Wireframe tool?
In simple terms, Zen wireframe is a simple wireframe tool that lets you create low-fidelity website wireframes and app mockups in just minutes.
If you’re looking to draw out clean, explanatory sketches for your websites and apps, this is the tool for you.
Instead of carving out websites pre-design layouts on pen and paper, this awesome tool lets you do it digitally and in a matter of minutes (not hours).
The result? You get a detailed breakdown of your site’s main features and user flow. Looking at the wireframes you cook up with Zen, you get a straight-to-the-point idea of the site’s functionality before handing it over to a designer.
What does low-fidelity mean?
While defining Zen flowchart, we mentioned the phrase low-fidelity. For people who aren’t used to wireframe tools or who are just trying their hands at wireframes in general, this may cause a stare. So, let’s spell it out for everyone.
Low-fidelity wireframes, or low-fi wireframes as they’re known for short, are quick sketches of web layouts featuring design elements in boxes and lines. In a paper-and-pen world, low-fi is what you would have called a black and white representation of ideas.
The reason they’re called low-fidelity is not because they’re low in quality. Far from it. In fact, they’re the simplest wireframe style you’ll ever come across. If anything, they make your life easier.
They’re called low-fidelity because they pale in comparison to Medium to High fidelity wireframes, which are more complete representations of the end product.
Zen Wireframe Review: Reasons to consider this tool
So far, we’ve talked about what the Zen wireframe is. Now, let’s take a look at some good points scored by this tool.
Availability of drag-and-drop templates
While other wireframe makers give you a workspace to create your wireframes, Zen actually makes the work easier by providing you with a bundle of templates you can choose from.
What this means is that you don’t have to build your sketches from scratch. Instead, you just select from ready-made templates. According to the Zen website, there are 56+ of these templates available. That means you have so many to choose from.
Focus on low-fidelity wireframes
The next good thing about Zen is the fact that they give special attention to low-fidelity wireframes. As we mentioned earlier, there are medium and high-fidelity wireframes, too.
However, at the very basic level, low-fi wireframes offer numerous advantages over these other ones. At their core, low-fi wireframes bring the graphical pieces and content structure together in a way that’s easy to view and interpret. Zen has prioritized these forms of wireframes because they believe it helps viewers understand the early stage of design.
Furthermore, they show the placement of graphical elements and copy on the screen. What we find particularly impressive about low-fi wireframes is that they can even be developed into more high-fidelity wireframes.
So, in a way, creating low-fi wireframes with Zen is like creating a bedrock for any sort of end product you may have in mind.
Customizability
A key feature you expect to find in any wireframe tool is the ability to customize the end product into anything you want. And on this front, Zen wireframe has no match.
Zen wireframe makes customization so easy that it’s even possible to upgrade a simple low-fidelity wireframe into more polished developments.
So, let’s say you decide to have a simple sketch of a few black-and-white pages today. You can come back and upgrade that to something colored with extra pages.
Swift creation
One of the traditional challenges of wireframe creation is the issue of time wastage. Whether you’re doing hand-drawn wireframes or simply sketching your site layout on a piece of paper, one thing is certain; you will need a lot of time.
To make matters worse, you may not even reach a reasonable final product in the end.
Challenges like these are what tools like Zen wireframe tool helps you combat. With the Zen tool, you can create almost any type of wireframe in a matter of minutes rather than hours.
Wireframing made for everyone
Unless you’re a fine artist, a graphic designer, a web designer, or just naturally skilled at wireframe creation, it’s more than certain you will struggle to DIY your site wireframe.
This is because the process can be quite technical. For starters, you’ll need to draw out the graphical elements, align the user flow lines, showcase pages distinctly, point out functionalities, and pull other plugs.
How do you do this? Don’t sweat it, Zen wireframe tool is all you need. This tool makes it easy for anyone to create wireframes within the twinkle of an eye.
And that’s not all. When we say ‘anyone’ can create, we mean every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Irrespective of whether you’re a designer or not, have a background in wireframing or not, you can use the Zen tool to make your site sketches.
This is good news for those who don’t want to do wireframes because they feel it’s not worth the cost. Now that you can DIY wireframes using simple tools like Zen, it means you no longer need to hire expensive designers.
Multiplicity of wireframe design options
What kinds of wireframes can Zen flowchart do? That’s a question we hear every time. And the truth is Zen flowchart has a wide variety of options when it comes to wireframe designs.
For starters, you can make the following wireframes with Zen flowchart.
Landing page wireframe: this kind of wireframe will feature the overall structure of the copy, position of headline, space allocation for visuals, and user flow directions.
Mobile App wireframe: here, you’re talking about sketching the overall appearance of a mobile application before designing it. Logically speaking, you expect to find stuff like page directions, menu buttons, CTAs, and other navigation commands. And that’s exactly what you get with Zen flowchart.
Web App wireframe: the difference between this and the mobile app variant is that this features interaction with the internet. Since web apps can conform to multiple devices, choosing a wireframing tool that can make dynamic web app wireframes is important. Luckily, Zen flowchart is one such.
Website wireframe: This is simply a wireframe showcasing the appearance of a regular website. Talk about homepage, service pages, and other pages – this is the sort of wireframe you need to show the connections between all, including how a user will interact with all.
Desktop app wireframe: Say you want to run an e-commerce business that receives a lot of desktop-based traffic, designing a desktop app that can run on a standalone computer makes sense. However, to do that, you first need a desktop app wireframe. And that’s where Zen flowchart comes in.
Watch App mockup: Smartwatches operate on their own application software. To create this sort of platform, you need a wireframe first before any design. And Zen flowchart has the templates for that, too.
Collaborative features
Zen flowchart encourages teamwork with its wireframing system. Create your sketches and invite team members and clients to view, comment, or edit your work.
Awesome track record and reputation
Whether you’re buying a product online or off it, it is highly important to consider the reputation of the company you’re buying from.
And on this note, Zen flowchart has a reputation that speaks for itself. With over 1.6 million+ users serviced worldwide, Zen flowchart comfortably ranks atop most providers offering similar services.
Plus, their diversity in diagramming also goes to prove their versatility and expertise. As of now, joining the Zen flowchart community means signing up for some awesome diagramming & productivity tools, including flowcharts, mind maps, wireframes, whiteboards, and many more.
Finally, Zen flowchart is backed by some of the biggest names in the digital service community. Talk about Google, Facebook, Apple, LinkedIn, Spotify, etc.
